Winter in a Bottle Christmas Village Counted Cross Stitch Kit by Merejka K-316

Stitch Winter in a Bottle, a counted cross-stitch kit by Merejka — a corked glass bottle holds a whole snowy village: skaters in red coats circle a frozen pond, a snowman in a red scarf stands beside a pile of wrapped gifts, and a glittering Christmas tree rises next to a snow-capped gazebo, a stone bridge and a lantern-lit path, with the church spire and frosted pines behind.

A little stitcher's folklore: stitchers say that if you finish a Christmas piece before the first snow, the winter will be a kind one. With a slim, tall layout this one is very doable before the holidays.

Why this kit: if you love miniature winter scenes, the bottle frame turns a whole village into one elegant shape; 37 DMC shades layer icy blues, warm window light and bright Christmas reds; and the ice-blue Aida becomes the glass itself, so there is no background to fill.

Kit includes: Zweigart Aida 16-count fabric in ice-blue, DMC stranded cotton in 37 colors and a John James needle. The chart is digital-only through Merejka's free Fantastitch app, so you can zoom into every symbol; no paper chart is included. Frame and hoop are not included.

The design uses full and half cross stitches, backstitch, French knots and lazy daisy stitches, about 18,400 stitches across a 220 x 100 grid. Stitch the scene inside the bottle first, then outline the glass and cork, add the knots and lazy daisies for snowflakes and ornaments, press lightly and frame.

Finished size: 35 x 16 cm (13.78 x 6.30 in), a tall, narrow format that fits a hallway, mantel or shelf. A festive project to bring out every December and a lovely Christmas gift for stitchers who collect winter scenes.